Weekend weather

Hey there, time traveller!This article was published 18/1/2013 (1420 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

What with the lack, until now, of NHL hockey, Lance Armstrong admitting to being a big, fat liar and the continuing gloom and doom in the economy, we understand if you're a bit bummed out by the start of 2013.

Being The Weather Column That Cares, we would love to give you a reason to get out of bed, or, in other words, a tiny ray of light at the end of long, dark, bitterly cold tunnel.

But guess what we have coming down the pipe? If you guessed cold, snowy weather, you get a gold star. According to my buddy Dale Marciski at Environment Canada, a low-pressure system in northern Alberta is bringing us more snow -- about five centimetres this morning and another sprinkling on Sunday.

Today's forecast calls for snow in the morning, nasty northerly winds gusting up to 60 km/h early in the afternoon and a high of just -22 C, compared to the normal high of -13 C at this time of year.

The strong northerly winds, along with bringing some (bad word) Arctic temperatures, will whip up the fresh snow, reducing visibility and making highway driving 100 pounds of fun in a 50-pound bag.

On Sunday, look for another dusting of snow and a high of -23 C. By Sunday morning, a deep-freeze should settle on the area, bringing us lows in the -30 C zone for the rest of the week.

If you need another chilly reason to live, here it is: We have already had more snow this winter than last. As of Friday morning, the city had received 98 cm of snow this winter (from October 2012 to Jan. 18, 2013), compared to 43 cm in the same period last year and 81 cm in all of last winter (October 2011 to March 2012).

How shall we celebrate cementing our grip on icy weather? Off the top of my head, I'm thinking bagpipes. The Lord Selkirk Boys Pipe Band is holding a ceilidh (party) at 7 p.m. tonight at the Assiniboia Christian Centre, 3390 Portage Ave. Tickets are $15 for adults and $6 for kids ages 6-14. Call Karen at 204-895-9792 or email klbowman@mymts.net .

If you don't feel the pipes calling, score tickets to SondheimFest 2013, a celebration of the biggest name in musical theatre. Passes are $80 at the MTC box office, 204-942-6537 or www.masterplaywrightfest.com .

I know you'll be watching the Jets hit the ice today, but for the sake of your future happiness, guys, walk down the aisle to the Wonderful Wedding Show at the convention centre this weekend. Yes, it means you'll have to spend several hours with your beloved eyeballing "wedding stuff," but it beats shovelling snow.

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